CINCINNATI — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin came to Cincinnati on Saturday for a hands-only CPR training session.
Hamlin's organization, The Chasing M's Foundation, is on a mission to teach people how to do CPR and make sure every place has an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Hamlin is cleared to play football this season and spoke about getting ready for training camp Saturday, but first, he was thanking the first responders who saved his life.
"And now by all of the love I received when I was last here in Cincinnati I have a platform now where I can make a big difference in the world and I plan on giving back to the city of Cincinnati in so many ways, I want to pour my heart out to you guys and the community in so many ways, but you can't conquer the world in one day," Hamlin said.
The Bills safety wants to give back by co-hosting CPR hands-only training sessions around the country with Cincinnati being one of the stops on the tour.
His foundation is also giving out AEDs to select youth sports organizations.
"Providing CPR on someone who is in cardiac arrest can triple their survival chance as it continues the flow of oxygen to the brain and other vital organs," said Dr. Woods Curry with UC Medical Center.
"It is no surprise that you continue to win at the game of life," Curry said to Hamlin.
Curry is one of the doctors who is credited with helping save Hamlin's life.
On Jan. 2, 2023, Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during the Monday Night Football game at Paycor Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Emergency responders provided CPR on Hamlin and used an AED to revive him. Hamlin recovered at UC Medical Center and one week later, doctors released him back to Buffalo.
"In Damar's situation every step worked perfectly. The NFL's emergency response plan worked perfectly," said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association.
"To us, it's awesome because people are really starting to listen and listen to our message and you'll take it any way that you can get it right and if that's what drives awareness that's the best thing that can happen," said Matt Mangine, who lost his son Matthew in 2020 to cardiac arrest.
Mangine feels his son's death could've been prevented.
"They had 5 AEDs on site, not one was brought to him, his shock didn't come until 12 minutes after EMS arrived, which we now know is too late," Mangine said.
Hamlin said this CPR tour is just the beginning of a much larger nationwide tour to get people to learn CPR.
This current tour has stops in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Cincinnati, which Hamlin now calls his "third home."
